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The Modern Streetcar 'Hoax'?

December 18, 2006, 1pm PST

Plans for modern streetcars are becoming more popular across the U.S. as one component of a revitalization plan. Randal O'Toole argues that the connection between streetcars and economic development is a hoax.

"The clear lesson is that spending huge amounts of money for what amounts to a Disneyland ride ends up hurting average transit riders. And not just transit riders: Portland schools, fire, police, public health, and other essential services have all seen budget squeezes even as the city continues to give huge subsidies to developers along the streetcar line.

...In short, the streetcar had nothing to do with the new construction. Without the subsidies but with the streetcar, virtually no new construction would have taken place. With the subsidies but no streetcar, virtually all of the new developments would have been built anyway."

O'Toole just had to rub Goldschmidt's face in it, didn't he?

I bought Randal O'Toole's book "The Vanishing Automobile" and read about half of it. It's not bad. He provides a contrarian analysis that is helpful to balance out some of the muddle-headed tripe that passes for "Neo-traditional" planning. But after a couple hundred pages, O'Toole's arguments get old.

This latest article provides more of O'Toole's typical, slanted, anti-planning reportage. The best demonstration of his credibility is provided by O'Toole's need to include a link to a devastating story about Neil Goldschmidt's tawdry past within his anti-streetcar article. It shows you how low Mr. O'Toole will stoop in his attempt to prove a point.

Pretty low, Randal. Can't you make your point without dragging Goldschmidt through the mud? Your writing reminds me of Rush Limbaugh.

The "Thoreau Institute"

Yep, so, I was just SO perplexed by the article that I HAD to go to their website. I read several of the "papers" they've produced...methodological flaws throughout. Their primary staff consists of O'Toole and two other people. The Board of Directors is composed of a variety of random no-bodies acting as respresentatives of several groups that appear just as sketchy as "The Thoreau Institute". Not at all credible . . .

Ohhhh...Thaaat Guy!

Its all coming back to me now. I thought this last oil shock might have spurred him to lay down his diesel-powered pen. Thanks for the heads up. Anybody know where I can find some balanced analysis of this subject?